The game of golf is widely played throughout most countries of the world. Golf is played by people of either gender and of various ages and the game accommodates people of varying ability.
Golf is a particularly challenging sport that requires much skill and endeavour to deal with the technical aspects of the game, as well as the random aspects that occur in outdoor sports exposed to the elements of nature. Whilst the elements of nature can rarely be controlled, the technical aspects of the game, including the swing action and various other swing attributes, can be refined and improved to provide a player with a relatively consistent swing action between individual shots. The ability to strike the ball in a consistent manner with a degree of accuracy is a constantly being sought by golfers of all ages and abilities.
For this reason a variety of training tools have been developed in order to aid a golfer in developing a consistent and desirable swing action. Such aids take the form of arm braces, gloves and other such devices that are worn or carried by the golfer when practicing. Many such devices are directed towards addressing any one of a number of deficiencies, however they rarely attempt to address the essence of the swing technique, the ability to swing the golf club within a desired plane. As all golf clubs are made with an inclined lie angle from the head to the shaft, each club is typically swung on an inclined plane. Ideally, the golf club should swing within a plane that contains the golf ball to be hit in a desired direction, from initial address of the ball, through the back swing and downswing of the club, and through the follow-through of the stroke. As each club has a different length and lie angle, each club is essentially swing on a different inclined swing plane. Therefore, it is the ability to swing the club such that its swing path remains within the desired plane that determines the control of the ball being hit.
One problem with swinging the club so as to ensure that it remains within the desired swing plane is the invisible nature of the desired swing plane. Whilst a golfer may be aware of the need to maintain their swing within the desired swing plane that contains the ball and the desired line of trajectory that the ball is to take, without a visual indication of the desired swing plane, it is difficult for the golfer to determine if and/or when their swing goes outside the swing plane. Therefore, it is hard for the golfer to make appropriate swing corrections to address such a problem.
A number of devices have been provided to assist a golfer in monitoring the swing path as the golfer swings the club. The most common devices incorporate lasers or other types of light sources which are located parallel to the shaft of the club, or within the shaft of the club, such that the golfer can trace the swing path of the club by tracking the light emitted from the club on a ground surface. Whilst such devices can provide the golfer with an indication of such a swing path, the golfer must extrapolate the visual indication in order to determine whether they are swinging the club in the desired swing plane. As the device is typically attached externally to the club, it can impede the swing and hence it is often difficult for the golfer to produce a swing that replicates their natural swing. For devices that are incorporated into the club, the club is often foreign to the golfer and as such the golfer may not swing in the same manner as they would naturally swing when using their own clubs. As a result, existing devices do not provide an accurate way in which the golfer can monitor and assess whether their swing falls outside the desired swing plane during a stroke.
There is a need to provide a golf club and/or training device and a method of using the golf club and/or training device that provides a golfer with a simple means by which to monitor their swing path during a swing and which overcomes the need for bulky attachments and the like.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.